Tree-felling machine.



-P. R. KRAMER. TREE PEI-LING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR.11, 1912.

Patented Jan. 19, 1915.

.SQQ

PHILLIP R. KRAMER, OF BAY CITY, MICHIGAN.

TREE-FELLING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 19, 1915.

Application filed April 11, 1912. Serial No. 689,961.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILLIP R. KRAMER, citizen of the United States,residing at Bay City, in the county of Bay and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Tree-Felling Machines,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to motor-driven machines for felling trees andhas special reference to the means whereby the saw a support may bedetachably connected to the motor frame.

A preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings and is hereinafter fully described, and theinvention consists in certain novel features particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

In the drawings, which are to be taken as a part of this specification,Figure l is an elevation of my improved machine showing it arranged tocut down a tree; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the saw arranged tocut through a log or fallen tree; Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view ofthe bracket by which the saw support is secured to the engine.

In carrying out my invention, I employ an engine of the internalcombustion type having a crank case constructed with a depending bracket5, having rings. or ears 6 formed thereon to receive a supporting postor pin 7, which has a tapered or pointed lower end 8 adapted to rest ina cup or socket 9, which may be secured to a board 10 or a skid or otherconvenient base. The motor will thus be supported so that it may begiven a slight rocking motion as may he demanded by the work to be done,while at the same time slipping of the engine will be prevented.

Upon the crank case of the engine, I secure or form bosses or bearingbrackets 20, in which is journaled a crank shaft 21 having a crank 22 atone end. This crank 22 is connected by a link 23 to an oscillating bar:24, pivotally connected at its upper end 25 to the engine cylinder 26and having its lower end equipped with a stud or pin. A pitman 28 isprovided at one end with a U-shaped member or hook 29 adapted to engageover said stud, the said hook or member 29 having a swiveled connectionwith the pitman.

The opposite end of the pitman is pivotally attached to a block 34 whichconstitutes a pivotal connection between the pitman and a saw-actuatingcross-head, being equipped with a pin or stud 37 passing through thesaid cross-head, as'will be readily under stood. This cross-head isslidably mounted upon parallel bars or tubes 38 and an oscillatory sawholder is pivotally secured upon the upper side of the cross-head bymeans of a centrally depending stud indicated at 40. The saw 41 isrigidly secured upon the upper side of the oscillatory saw holder andthe parallel bars or tubes 38, which form guides for the crosshead, havetheir ends nearer the motor inserted through and brazed, or otherwiserigidly secured, to the sleeves or straps 43 which constitute aportionof the saw support, and the crosshead is provided withlongitudinal cleats or sleeves 86* to fit around and slide on saidguides. Between the guide bars 38, a larger tube or bar 44 is insertedin and secured rigidly to the sleeves, blocks or straps 43 and theopposite end of the said bar 44 is fitted over a cylindrical arm 45,projecting from a casting or bracket 46 which is adapted to fit againstthe underside of a bracket 48 at the lower end of the bracket 5 on theengine frame. A collar or reinforcing band 49 around the end of the bar44 carries a set-screw 50 adapted to clamp the said bar firmly upon thearm or projection 45 so that the said bar 44 will be firmly secured inits adjusted position. The casting or bracket 46 is adapted to fitsnugly against the underside of the bracket 48, which is preferablyintegral with the lower end of the member 5 and through the bracket 46is formed a slot 51, the under face of the bracket around the said slotbeing beveled, as indicated at 52, to form cam faces, which will guidethe head of the supporting bolt or rod to the said slot when it isdesired to release the saw support. Recesses or openings 53 are providedin the upper side of the said bracket 46 to receive dowel pins depending from the bracket 48, and thereby prevent twisting of the saidbracket 46 relative to the bracket 48, as will be readily understood.

The bracket 46 is held to the bracket 48 by a sustaining rod 55,rotatably mounted in the bracket 48 and a guide 48 and held againstdropping by nuts 56 mounted on the rod and engaging the upper face ofthe bracket 48, as clearly shown in Figs l and 2. The lower end of thesupporting bar or rod is formed with a T-head 57 adapted to pass throughthe slot 51 and engage the under face of the bracket 46 and thereby holdthe same in its raised position, as will be readily understood; The saidbar is equipped with a handle 58 at its upper extremity, whereby when itis desired to release the saw, the rod may be given a quarter turn tobring the T-head 57 into aline- Inent with the slot 51, whereupon thesawsupport will at once drop. If the hook member 29 be now lifted from itsengage ment with thestud on the bar 24, the saw and its support will beentirelyfree of the motor, which may be then carried to another point. lV

A guide bar 59 is rigidly 'mduntedon the saw support at an angle to thelongitudinal axis of the same, as shown clearly in Fig. 2, and upon thisguide baris slidably fitted a sleeve 60, to which is pivotally attachedthe free end of a link or bar 61,;which is rigid with the oscillatingsaw holdei'. As the cross-head is reeiprocated the link 61 will be movedlongitudinally and through its connection with the sleeve 60, slidingupon the relatively inclined guide 59, will be caused to swing outwardlyabout the stud 40, so that an oscillatory or rocking motion will beimparted to the saw.

To the outer ends of the parallel guide bars 38, I secure a guide block62 to receive the saw blade 41,- so as to support and guide the same,the guide block being provided on its underside with hollow bosses 64:to re ceive the ends of the guide bars. To the guide block 62, Ipivotally secure a bracket 66 which carries a brace 68 extending to apoint adjacent to the free end of the saw blade where it is equippedwith a clip or guide 70 embracing the saw blade in the same manner asthe guide block 62 engages the same, whereby the blade will be heldagainst buckling as it enteifs" and-passes through the tree. After theblade has passed into the tree sufliciently to be supported by the kerf,the brace 68 is swung around to a position adjacent to the supportingguide bars 38 and the clip 70 engaged over a; lug 71 on one of thestraps or castings 43. W 7' A The gasolene tank 76 communicates throughany suitable conductor with a carbureter arranged in any preferredmanner and is supported above the eylinder by a tube or post 7 8 risingtherefrom and passing through the tank to be secured thereto by anyconvenient means.

The post 78 is provided at its upper end with a plurality of sockets orhollow arms 80,- one of which projects upwardly and receives a handle81. The remaining sockets or hollow bosses are disposed laterally andadapted to receive a handle 82, as shown. hen the device is in use tofell a tree, the operator by grasping the handle 81 and pressing down onthe same holds the engine to its support and by pulling backwardly onthe handle 82 holds the saw to its work. When the saw has advancedthrough the tree to such an extent that the telling wedge may beinserted or the tree begins to fall, the saw and its support isdisconnected from V the engine in the manner previously described, afterwhich the handle 81 is released and engaged in one of the lateral'sockets, so that the operator and an assistant may quickly move theengine to a point out of the way of the falling tree. It is tobe'understood, of course, that a handle may be permanently secured ineach of the lat eral sockets, so that the fraction of time otherwiseneeded for the shifting of the upright handle from the vertical socketto the lateral socket will be saved. I

The crank shaft 83 of the engine is eX- tended from the crank case andis equipped with a fly wheel 84: in the usual manner.

Through suitable gearing the motion of the driving shaft is iinparted toa gearwheel 102 on the crank shaft 21 so that said shaft will be rotatedand the bar 24 oscillated through the cranks 23 and 2 1. The saw willthus be reciprocated so as to perform its work.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is p In a tree-fellingmachine, the combination of an engine, a saw arranged at one side of theengine, a saw support having one end bearing against the frame of theengine, and

a supporting rod mounted in the engine frame and engaging the sawsupport to detachably connect the same to the engine frame.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of. tWO witnesses.

, PHILLIP R. KRAMER. [as] Witnesses: 7

JOHN E, KINNANE,

CLARA B. THOMAS.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by'addressing the Commissioner of iatents',

' Washington, D. G.

